Verizon Wireless Offers Customers More Flexibility

After spending some time in Europe, I absolutely loved the fact that I could use my T-Mobile SIM card in any phone. When I came back to the States, I was quickly reminded that I couldn't swap phones like I had grown accustomed to doing overseas.

With the recent announcement of Google's planned Android platform, networks are scrambling to keep current customers, while planning innovative solutions to attract new ones. Yesterday Verizon Wireless announced that it plans to open up its network to give customers the freedom to choose what cell phone they want to use. According to The New York Times, this is a huge advancement in the industry, especially for Verizon, which has been traditionally viewed as a stricter network.

The point I think is that Verizon lost so many customers to AT&T with the release of the iphone, they need to do something to draw it back. Although the Iphone is not compatable at this moment to work on the Verizon network, there is nothing saying that they won't change their network to let those people who have an iphone, or want an iphone to use it with Verizon. Verizon isn't stupid and very well has an intent behind doing this, otherwise what other device would someone really want to use on their network?

i was reading about this in the trade news. unfortunately, iphones will not work.
"Cupertino-based Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) also said earlier it will let third parties to develop software for its iPhone. The iPhone will not be compatible with the Verizon network because it runs on a different standard."
sorry. however, this is still very exciting because you may want a certain phone a carrier doesn't carry.

"Any device that meets the minimum technical standard will be activated on the network."
Any device means any device
"Devices will be tested and approved in a $20 million state-of-the-art testing lab which received an additional investment this year to gear up for the anticipated new demand. Any application the customer chooses will be allowed on these devices."
If they are going to be doing this, they know that they are basically drawing people away from AT&T. It would be stupid of them to not add the ability of other types of networks to work on theirs. If AT&T can support both CDMA and GSM then so can verizon.

no...you're not going to be able to use at&t phones, or the apple phone. you will only be able to use phones that are compatible with the verizon network, which is a different network type (CDMA) than almost every other cell phone network (including overseas) which is GSM. the only other cell phone company i can think of that uses CDMA is sprint and us cellular.
so, this isn't really that big of a deal.